ANCHORED

CHAPTER 15

Cobham had always prided himself on his discipline. As captain, he had to maintain a certain distance from his crew, a professional boundary that ensured his decisions were based on logic, not emotion. But after the incident in the ship's hospital, that line had blurred, and now he found himself walking a tightrope between duty and desire.

The memory of their shared moment was both exhilarating and terrifying. Jariel's touch, her vulnerability, had stirred something deep within him, something he hadn't felt in years. He didn't regret what had happened; in fact, a part of him reveled in it. But that was the problem. He was scared. Scared of how easily he could fall for her, scared of the addiction that could consume him.

So, he did the only thing he thought he could: he avoided her.

He reassigned her duties, shifting her from the bridge to tasks on the main deck. It wasn't a demotion, not exactly, but it kept her away from him, from the close quarters where temptation lurked. He told himself it was for the best, for both of them. He needed to regain control, to remind himself that he was a captain first, a man second.

Each morning, he'd wake up with a resolve to speak to her, to explain his actions. But then he'd see her across the deck, her eyes questioning, and his courage would fail him. He'd bury himself in reports, bark orders at his officers, anything to keep his mind off her.

He watched her from afar, noting the way she interacted with the other crew members, the easy camaraderie she shared. He knew she was well-liked, respected. He also knew that a relationship between them would complicate things, create divisions. He couldn't risk that. The ship duties had to come first.

But it wasn't just about duty. It was about his own demons. He'd seen too many captains lose themselves in fleeting romances, their judgment clouded, their careers ruined. He didn't want to be that man. He wanted to be a good example, a leader his crew could trust.

Jariel was a distraction, a beautiful, alluring distraction. And the best way to deal with a distraction was to eliminate it, or at least, keep it at arm's length. He knew it wasn't fair to her. She deserved honesty, respect. But he couldn't give her what she wanted, not without risking everything.

So, he continued the charade, giving her tasks that kept her busy, but far away. He told himself it was temporary, that once he sorted out his feelings, he'd talk to her. But deep down, he knew he was just postponing the inevitable.

The ship sailed on, the voyage continued, and Cobham remained a captain torn between duty and desire, trapped in a self-made prison of avoidance. He was running from Jariel, but he was also running from himself, from the part of him that longed for something more than command and control. He was a captain, yes, but he was also a man, and the man was losing the battle.